# Quick Deploy

Table of Contents

This demo is a simple Airnode deployment, using a hands-on approach, to better understand the overall deployment process of the deployer image. It uses an API endpoint (GET /coins/{id}) from CoinGecko (opens new window) which returns the current value of a coin. This demo does not detail the overall configuration of an Airnode, it is just a quick start.

Additional Examples

There are additional examples of Airnode deployments in the examples package (opens new window) of the Airnode repo.

Run Airnode as a docker container locally while connected to Rinkeby network.
Run Airnode as a docker container locally, but connected to the hardhat (local) network.
Deploy Airnode on AWS and use the Rinkeby network.

An Airnode deployment uses a Docker image (called deployer image) which in turn requires three files as input.

For the purpose of this demo these files have been created and only require a few minor changes on your part to make the deployment of the demo Airnode successful. These change are needed to supply AWS credentials, a chain provider url, a mnemonic and an apiKey.

# Install Prerequisites

Install Docker (opens new window) if it is not present on your system and launch it.

# Project Folder

Create a folder called /quick-deploy-demo with two more internal folders named /config and /output. Place the contents of the files provided (config.json, secrets.env and aws.env) into the locations show below.

quick-deploy-demo
├── aws.env
├── config
│   ├── config.json
│   └── secrets.env
└── output
    ├── receipt.json

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By default, the deployer image looks for config.json and secrets.env in /config, aws.env in /quick-deploy-demo and writes receipt.json to the /output folder.

# Configuration

Prepare the three configuration files.

# config.json

This file requires no changes on your part. It has been created with just one API endpoint and will use the Rinkeby test network. There are three variables this file will extract (interpolation) from secrets.env.

# secrets.env

Add values for each of the these fields.

CHAIN_PROVIDER_URL: A chain provider url from a provider such as Infura (opens new window). Make sure the provider url you use is for the Rinkeby test network. Using another chain provider other than Infura is acceptable.
- Sign-up or login to Infura.
- Create a new project, select the Settings tab in the project.
- Copy the URL (https) for Rinkeby under the Endpoints pick list.
AIRNODE_WALLET_MNEMONIC: Provide the seed phrase (mnemonic) to a digital wallet. For the purpose of this demo it does not need eth in it for the Rinkeby test network.
HTTP_GATEWAY_API_KEY: Make up an apiKey to authenticate calls to the HTTP Gateway. Used to test your Airnode with CURL later. The expected length is 30 - 128 characters.

# aws.env

Add the access credentials to your AWS account. The deployer image will use them to install the Airnode functions to Lambda under your account's control. If you do not have an account watch this video (opens new window) to create one. Unlike secrets.env, you cannot surround values with double quotes (").

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: Is ACCESS_KEY_ID in IAM.
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: Is SECRET_ACCESS_KEY in IAM.

# Deploy

Make sure Docker is running and then execute the deployer image from the root of the quick-deploy-demo folder. A receipt.json file will be created upon completion. It contains some deployment information and is used to remove the Airnode.

Run the following command to deploy the demo Airnode. Note that the version of api3/airnode-deployer matches the nodeVersion in the config.json file. Normally (for Linux/Mac/WSL2) the deployer image deploy command is run by the user root. This may cause permission issues when the receipt.json file is generated. Optionally you can specify the UID (user identifier) and GID (group identifier) that the deployer image should use. Do so by setting the environment variables USER_ID and GROUP_ID, otherwise omit the line containing the variables.

# Test the Airnode

After a successful deployment the Airnode can be tested directly using the HTTP Gateway without accessing the blockchain. You provide endpoint parameters to get a response from an integrated API.

# HTTP Gateway

Looking at the config.json shows that the HTTP Gateway was activated for our Airnode. Furthermore the endpoint for /coins/{id} is set to be testable, see endpoints[0]. While the Airnode is enabled for the gateway, each individual endpoint must be marked as testable to allow access.

"nodeSettings": {
 ...
  "httpGateway": {
    "enabled": true, // The gateway is activated for this Airnode
    "apiKey": "${HTTP_GATEWAY_API_KEY}" // Gateway apiKey
  },
...
},
"endpoints": [
    {
      "name": "coinMarketData",
      "operation": {
        "method": "get",
        "path": "/coins/{id}"
      },
      "testable":true, // This endpoint can be tested by the gateway
      ...
    }
  ]
}

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# Execute Endpoint

Use CURL to execute the Airnode and get the results from the CoinGecko endpoint /coins/{id} bypassing the Rinkeby test network that Airnode was deployed for. As an alternative to CURL try an app such as Insomnia (opens new window) or Postman (opens new window). Windows users can also use Windows Subsystem for Linux (opens new window) (WSL2) to run CURL for Linux.

In order to test the endpoint make an HTTP POST request with the endpointId as a path parameter, the x-api-key in the header and endpoint parameters in the request body as a key/value pairs.

-v: Verbose output is optional.
-H: The x-api-key using the value of HTTP_GATEWAY_API_KEY from secrets.env file.
-d: Use request body data to pass all endpoint parameters.

Breaking down the URL in the CURL command below:

<httpGatewayUrl>: The base URL to the gateway, found in the receipts.json file. Update the placeholder in the CURL example below with its value.
0x6db9e3e3d073ad12b66d28dd85bcf49f58577270b1cc2d48a43c7025f5c27af6: Passed as a path parameter, the endpointId to call, see triggers.rrp[0].endpointId in the config.json file.

Request:

Response:

{ "value": "4060000" }

# Remove the Airnode

When you are done with this demo you can remove it. When the Airnode was deployed a receipt.json file was created in the /output folder. This file is needed to remove an Airnode.

--env-file: Location of the aws.env file.
-v: Location of the receipt.json file.

← Airnode Client Image config.json →